For the fifth time in as many years, the Detroit Police Department and citizens of the community will get together to work on a shared vision of a clean and safe community. The Fifth Annual Community Policing Conference will be held on Friday, May 23 from 8 AM to 2 PM at Second Ebenezer Baptist Church, 2760 East Grand Boulevard at 1-75, in Detroit.

The event is coordinated by Wayne State University's College of Urban, Labor and Metropolitan Affairs (CULMA) and the Detroit Police Department, in collaboration with a number of community organizations. It is funded by the Empowerment Zone Development Corporation.

The theme of the conference is "Community Safety: It's in our hands. It's Up to YOU!" The community, police officers and representatives from Detroit City Departments responsible for community safety and code enforcement will come together to develop a shared vision of community policing and explore methods of citizen involvement.

The goals of the conference will be introduced by Assistant Chief Timothy Black of the Detroit Police Department. Guest speakers from law enforcement and the community will lay the groundwork for workshop sessions. Southfield Police Chief Joseph Thomas will discuss the challenges and successes of community policing in his community. Ron Scott, long-time Detroit community activist and organizer will present community policing from the citizen's point of view. He is on the staff of "Groundwork for a Just World" and has been a spokesperson for the "Coalition Against Police Brutality." He hosts and produces "For My People" on TV Channel 50.

After the keynote presentations, the conference will break into three workshop sessions. Youth will have their own session on youth safety. The second session will be on police conduct, and the third on code enforcement and city government. Attendees will participate in these workshops, bringing their concerns and issues. The emphasis will be on cooperatively finding solutions and assuming responsibility to enhance the quality of life in Detroit.

The event sponsors, in addition to Wayne State University, include the Detroit Board of Police Commissioners, The Detroit Police Department, Detroit Neighborhood and Family Initiative/Community Policing, Warren Conner Development Corporation, Eastside Community Policing Partnership, Southwest Detroit Business Association, Southwest Subzone Community Policing, Detroit Empowerment Zone Corporation, Collaborative for a Safer Community, and Wayne State's Center for Urban Studies

Everyone is invited to attend and participate. For more information contact the Urban Safety Program at 313-577-2807. Or e-mail a message to CUSInfo@wayne.edu.